Wireline imaging (WLI) and imaging while drilling (IWD) techniques are well known in oil and gas well drilling applications. For example, a density IWD tool may obtain formation density measurements and toolface measurements at some predetermined time interval (e.g., 10 milliseconds) while rotating in the borehole during a drilling operation. A density image may then be constructed from these measurements using known imaging algorithms. Other known wireline imaging and IWD techniques include, for example, gamma, neutron, resistivity, microresistivity, sonic, ultrasonic, and caliper imaging techniques.
For the purposes of this disclosure, a borehole image may be thought of as a two-dimensional representation of a measured formation (or borehole) parameter at discrete azimuths (toolface angles) and borehole depths. Such borehole images thus tend to convey the dependence of the measured formation (or borehole) parameter on the borehole azimuth and depth. It will therefore be appreciated that one purpose in forming images of particular formation or borehole parameters (e.g., formation resistivity, density, acoustic velocity, dielectric constant, etc.) is to determine the actual azimuthal dependence of such parameters as a function of the borehole depth.
Borehole images are generally blurry to some extent. Such image distortion results from many factors. For example, blurriness is often the result of the finite distance between a source (or transmitter) and a corresponding detector. Increasing the distance between the source and the detector increases the formation volume that contributes to the measurements and therefore also tends to increase blurriness. Moreover, certain WLI and IWD measurements are statistical in nature. Rapid rotation and short measurement times tend to exaggerate the measurement noise. Vertical and azimuthal averaging routines are commonly applied to reduce such noise. These averaging routines also tend to increase image blur.
The above described image blur tends to compromise the interpretative value of borehole images. For example, smaller geological features such as thin beds, fractures, vugs, fossils, bioturbation, and the like often cannot be adequately identified and/or measured due to the blurriness of conventional IWD images. Therefore, there exists a need in the art for improved borehole imaging techniques and in particular techniques that improve the quality and interpretive value of the obtained borehole images.